Water resistance of leather...

[TeeJay]

I know that some leather straps aren't waterproof at all, and some, which would possibly be ruined by immersion in salt water, but, I was wondering about what would be okay to get wet... Afterall, back in the day, Radiomirs were worn by divers on leather straps...

Would a strap like this (which is leather, glue, and stitching) be okay to get wet? (ie would the glue be affected?)

I have no plans for frequent swimming on my upcoming vacation to Spain, but, don't want to have to worry about getting the watch wet...

[Toadtorrent]

It depends on the glue used and how the leather is treated. Generally salt water will wear down the leather more. Some leather if not treated properly will swell or lose it's strength and stretch.

Some leather straps are ok for getting wet like Di Modell's Imperator line...but generally, salt water is not encouraged. Some people treat their straps and dive in (with silicon, or waterproofing treatments for shoes, etc...but they will often change the colour a bit, and may not smell quite right).

[fat.tail.event]

TeeJay,

I stick with a rather old fahsioned approach with the 2 leather straps (cheaper ones) I subject to the water/ocean. Just like the italian marines, I oil these heavily. The oils obviously darken the leather (which I dont mind) and can give it a different smell. Old Skool's Red12 straps I believe have a neatsfoot oil treatment on them. This kind of gives off a 'old baseball glove' smell to the leather. I have even used lemon oil on my straps...it can smell like Pledge going on, but really ends up being a neutral, non-oily scent after a day or so. All of these oils are on the bay or at local stores for cheap.

Another old fashioned method is putting on a layer of beeswax. I have not done it, but know of others who have.

Sorry, not a chemical expert to comment on glue/saltwater reactions...but the WWII solution works for me.

All said, there's no way I would take a Rob Montana, Greg Stevens, SC, etc. and dunk it.

[TeeJay]

Thanks for the suggestions Oiling the strap wouldn't be an issue, as the leather looks better the darker it gets Last time I went to Spain, I wore my 111h on the SS bracelet and didn't have a problem, and, although I could wear my 104 on it's SS bracelet, for some reason, I fancy keeping it on the above shown strap, as it's less 'showy' than the SS

I'll try looking in the local leather stores to see what oils are available